Fri. Jan. 3, 2025: Why Yes, It’s Winter

image courtesy of  JackieLou DL via pixabay.com

Friday, January 3, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Snowy and cold

I’m seriously considering turning my phone completely off on Sundays, at least for the bulk of the day, so I’m not even tempted to look things up, and then get distracted online.

Things I didn’t talk about in yesterday’s long post:

The attack in New Orleans, which was horrifying. I’ve spent some quality time in New Orleans, although less on Bourbon Street than many other places. But knowing the geography of it all makes it more visceral. I feel for everyone injured and the families of those killed.

I don’t have enough information on the exploding truck in Las Vegas from what I consider reliable sources yet. I don’t much care about that kind of truck exploding in front of a hotel with that specific name on it. I do feel for those injured who were just going about their lives. The fact that the first reaction from many venues was that it must be another electrical fault instead of an attack is telling. An acquaintance pointed out that those vehicles malfunction when they go through a puddle, so let’s wait until there’s more well-sourced information. I mean, considering the staged attacks during the campaign, it’s hard to take this seriously. We already know that collateral damage is just shrugged off.

Lightning hitting the Capitol building and the Washington Monument made me laugh. Tower card much, anyone?

I got my act together yesterday morning, finished up the thank you letters, and walked to the post office to mail them all and the rent. So if you’re expecting a thank you from me, it’s on its way. It was bright and sunny, rather windy. Not all that cold, comparatively. But the sidewalks were icy. They are not good about keeping the sidewalks clear around here. I had to remember to take shorter steps and keep my weight on the balls of my feet.

But I made it there and back.

Got the next two posts for this month’s GDRs up and scheduled to post. Got the month’s Ink-Dipped Advice done and scheduled to post. So those deadlines aren’t hanging over me.

There was plenty I “should” have done, but I was feeling resentful and grumpy and gave myself the rest of the day off. I spent a good bit of it on the couch, with Charlotte sitting on me, which made her happy. I dug into the Ancestor work. Since I’m building on the work I did last year and going deeper, rather than going in a new direction, it was interesting. It’s about layering what I started to learn last year. Things that didn’t make sense last time around are clearer this time. And while Nancy Hendrickson’s work is a great starting point, my own work is evolving a little away from that to suit my own family, traditions, and understandings more.

Put in the Chewy order, to make sure the cats stay fed. I bought a bag of Nine Lives because I was worried I couldn’t put in the order before we ran out of their “good” food. It’s kind of like feeding them Burger King for a few days in the interim. They were enthusiastic yesterday, but this morning, they wanted the good stuff back.

Was not paid by the troublesome client I hope to replace soon. Yet another reason to replace them. I understand not paying us on the holiday, but we should have been paid yesterday. I mean, I only earned 1/3 of what I hoped to this pay period, but getting paid on time has always been a point in their favor.

It snowed in the evening and overnight. Not much, but when it snowed, it came down hard.

Used some of the leftover duck to make something similar to Shepherd’s Pie, but with duck instead of beef. It was good. Read in the evening, and listened to music. We enjoyed the tree.

Tonight is the last night to enjoy all the decorations. Although Twelfth Night isn’t until Monday, it makes sense to take things down over the weekend. Next week is very busy.

Dreamed that I was helping a local friend move, so I guess that’s what I’m doing in September.

On today’s agenda: working on the ghostwriting revisions, taking the rolly cart and heading up to the library to drop off/pick up books. Do some tidying up and finish filing 2024, although a lot of the tidying will happen after the decorations are put away. I might start on the lessons for the screenwriting class. I have the basic outline done – that’s what landed me the gig. But I can start on the nuts and bolts of each lesson, so I’m not working at the last minute. I also want to read the next book for review over the weekend.

Next week, I start on judging the other contest. Once the decorations are put away, I’ll set up the worktable in my office for that. I have to set up the 2025 folders this weekend, too. Next week is the ghostwriting revision deadline, an interview, and our welcome dinner for the new cohort. I hope I have a working car and a working voice by then.

Have a good weekend, and we’ll catch up next week.